Built-in ironing board



Sept. 26, 1944. H. c. BULLARD BUILT-IN 130mm; BOARD Filed Aug. 25, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet J.- 4

3 I 1.? INVENTOR.

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' HTTOR Patented Sept. 26, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILT-IN moms BOARD Harold o. Bullard, Cambridge, Mass. Application August 25, 1942, Serial No. 455,988 (o1. eta-127).

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ironing boards of the so-called built-in type; that is, an ironing board mounted in a cabinet which is adapted to be set bodily into a suitable opening in a wall. The invention aims to devise a structure of this character in which the use of those metals vitally needed for war purposes can be substantially eliminated.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view, taken substantially on the line l-l, Fig. 2, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention;

"Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1 with the door and trim of the cabinet removed and parts of the main ironing board cut away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, taken inside the cabinet wall and on a somewhat larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating details of the parts for supporting the two ironing boards in their operative positions;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig. 3; and c Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3 with the back wall removed and some parts cut away.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the cabinet there shown comprises top and bottom frame members 2 and 3, respectively, side members 4 and 5 connected to them, and a back wall or panel 6. The cabinet also includes a door 1 hinged to one side thereof and trim pieces, such as those indicated at 8 and 9, for closing the space between the box section of the cabinet and the wall. Usually the frame or box parts of the cabinet are made of some soft wood, such as pine. In the lower part of the cabinet the side pieces are reinforced by sections ill and I2, respectively, preferably made of plywood and extending across this part of the cabinet are front and rear cross pieces l3 and I4 preferably made of hard wood.

The base of the main ironing board I5 is mounted between the plywood sections l and I2, and for this purpose hard wood pins -46 are secured in the opposite edges thereof in line with each other, and they ride in arcuate guide slots |'l--ll formed in the sections In and I2 so that the board l5 can swing from a closed or inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 1, into its horizontal or operative position, as illustrated in Fig.

3. In the latter position it is supported by the cross pieces l3 and [4, the former acting-as a fulcrum and the latter as a stop and cooperating with the fulcrum to support the board as a cantilever lever. makes a very sturdy and substantial construction. g

It iS frequently desirable to reverse a board of this type as, for example, tomake use of .difierent coverings for the opposite sides of it, and in order to facilitate this operation the forward end of each arcuate slot ll terminates in and forms the lower end of an upright slot section 18. In addition, the latter slotin the part I0 is curved forwardly at its upper end, as best shown at IS in Fig. 1, and extends outwardly to the edge of this member, as illustrated at l8 in Fig. 2. The base section of the board fits loosely in the cabinet, so thatjif the board is swung into its upright position, as shownin Fig. 1; next is lifted until the I pins I6 reach the upper ends of the slots l8, and

then is swung slightly outward and toward the left, 2, to move the right-hand pin, Fig. 2, through the section l8 of the slot, the other pin will simultaneously be swung laterally out of its slot, thus freeing the board entirely from its connection with the cabinet. It can then "be turned over, side for side, and replaced by a reversal ofthe operations just described.

The main board ["5 may be locked in its upright position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by a piece 20 of hard wood doweling set into holes bored for it in the opposite side pieces 4 and 5, the length of this member being made slightly greater than'the shape.

. board, thus holding it in the cabinet. Similarly,

upon opening the cabinet and pulling the board out, it will pass under the rod 20, springing the latter upwardly to accommodate this movement.

A novel mounting is provided for the sleeve board 2| comprising dowel pins 22 projecting from opposite edges of the rear end thereof, or extending entirely through this member. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the hard wood cross piece I4 is deeply notched, as shown at 23, to receive this board, and slots 2424 are cut in it from the rearward side thereof, these slots opening into the notch 23 and being so positioned as to receive the pivot pins 22-22. The parts are assembled in this relationship before the cross member I4 is secured in the cabinet so that any rearward movement of the pivots out of their slots is thereafter prevented by the back panel 6.

A brace 25, which may conveniently consist of a section of plywood, is hinged to the sleeve board 2| at an intermediate point in its length, preferably by slotting the brace, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 at 26 and 21, also transversely slotting a piece 28 which is straddled by the forward end of the part 25, and then dropping an ordinary finish nail 30 into the slot 26 and placing these two parts 25 and 28 in the relationship shown in the drawings with the nail in both slots. Next the piece 28 is nailed to the sleeve board in the position shown. The lower side of the sleeve board 2| is grooved, as shown at 3|, so that as the brace 25 swings about the pin 30 as an axis, its pivoted end will enter the slot 3|, one wall of the latter serving to limit this swinging movement, while another wall engages the end of the brace and forms an abutment for it. It will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 1 that the lower end of the brace 25 overlaps the cross piece I4 when the sleeve board is in its upright position, so that as the latter is swung downwardly into its operative position, Fig. 3, the brace will be guided into engagement with the forward surface of the cross piece approximately at its junction with the main board and thus find a solid footing at this point.

This board may be held in its upright position by a length of hard wood doweling 32 located in essentially the same manner a the dowel section 20 above referred to. Either of these members may be initially bowed or sprung to such a degree that they can be swung up and down into locking or releasing positions and they will stay in either position in which they are placed.

It will be observed that all of the parts of this structure can be secured together with wood dowels or with relatively few nails. Preferably doweling is used in securing the plywood sections ll), l2 and the hard wood cross pieces l3 and M to the side pieces 4 and 5. In any event, the number of metal parts necessary is reduced to a minimum, and those required are simply common nails, except for the hinges for the door I and the screws for securing them in place. Even these can be replaced with wood parts if absolutely necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. The combination of an ironing board and a cabinet therefor adapted to be mounted in a wall opening, said cabinet including front and rear cross members spaced apart vertically by approximately the thickness of the ironing board with the rear member at a higher level than the front member, whereby they serve to support the board in its operative position as a cantilever lever, pivot pins projecting from opposite edges of said board in alignment with each other, said cabinet including upright side pieces at opposite sides of said board, each provided with slots to receive said respective pins and curved to guide them during the swinging movement of said board from its closed to its operative position, and vice versa, one of said slots being open at the forward side of the cabinet, whereby the board can be removed and replaced in an inverted position.

2. The combination of an ironing board and a cabinet therefor adapted to be mounted in a wall opening, said cabinet including front and rear cross members spaced apart vertically by approximately the thickness of the ironing board with the rear member at a higher level than the front member, whereby they serve to support the board in its operative position as a cantilever lever, pivot pins projecting from opposite edges of said board in alignment with each other, said cabinet including upright reinforcing plywood sections at opposite sides of said board, each of said plywood sections having an arcuate slot thereinto receive and guide said pins and each including an upright slot connected with the forward end of said arcuate slot, one of said upright slots opening at its upper end to the forward edge of'its respective plywood section, whereby the board can be removed and replaced at will.

3. In a combination according to preceding claim 1, a stop for holding said ironing board yieldingly in its inoperative position in the cab inet, comprising a dowel extending transversely across the cabinet from one side thereof to the other in position to be engaged by the end of the board and sprung out of its normal position in swinging the board into and out of said position.

HAROLD C. BULLARD. 

